Obtaining Longevity in the Music Business

There are so many young producers wondering what the key is to staying relevant in this business. I believe it’s all about consistency. You have to gain respect to be credible in this game.

You can go to Interscope, Atlantic or any other label and ask what they think about Drumma Boy and you’ll get a 5-star rating. You can go to the street and get that same rating. It’s about who you are and what you mean to hip-hop; the impact that you’ve made and whether or not you’ve made a difference.

To me, that’s what matters and that’s what separates one person from the next. When we call upon you, do you deliver? Those are the things that are important to the future of your success. You have to be diverse and well educated in your craft.

I started off learning how to read music. I learned to play different instruments. The public may not know it but I grew up playing the clarinet. I also took piano lessons from Bobby Jones. Music wasn’t something I just stumbled upon. I nurtured my gift. My mother was an opera singer and my father was a professional clarinet player. After gaining knowledge in the fundamentals, a lot of what I learned was from hands on experience.

It’s not just about talent. It’s about relationship building and creating a feeling for the artist and the fans. Young Jeezy’s “Standing Ovation” was such an influential record for the streets. It was big for me because Jeezy said, “If you come through for me, I got you.” So I had no choice but to deliver.

The first thing I tell every artist I work with is, “I’ma change your life.” When you work with Drumma, it’s going to be an experience. I’m trying to make an impact with the records I make. Like when I did “Here I Am” for Rick Ross. That was such a big record for us all. I’m trying to make those kinds of records. Even if they aren’t the highest-ranking songs, they’re still favorites.

“Standing Ovation” wasn’t even the single and I’m STILL getting pub checks off that because of how many times it was downloaded. The lifespan of an artist/producer relies on their ability to give the people what they want.

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This wack ass producer aint shit. We all know who can BRING THE RUCKAS!

WU-wu-WU-wu-WU-wu.

rockcity

Drumma Boy, you gotta be kidding, right?

You wouldnt get a 5 star rating on the streets anywhere, goon. Pete Rock would, you wouldnt. Dont act like you up there with the real.

John Cochran

Lets make this clear, I love the man’s work but Pete Rock gets slapped around too much to get a 5 star rating in the hood. And this aint about Pete, its about Drumma Boy. How come yall act like if its not Pete Rock, RZA, or Premo that its not hiphop. Get over yourself. This man’s shit be knocking, and Im from the east. I agree with TPAR, this isnt a very good post. But thats why he’s a producer and not a blogger. And being a beataker myself, the one thing I can tell you is that no successful producer is gonna tell you how he did it. Trends change too fast and they’re scared someone will take thier spot.

yoprince

standing ovation really did set TM 101 off… the first track was cool, but that standing ovation came on and you just knew that joint was going to be something special.

niggas don’t know nothin but to hate. keep makin them bangas drumma. we def. fucks wit ur shit here in baltimore. that shit def. be knockin son. and usually u can tell when it’s u on the beat and not just cause ur tag (that one sound u always use).

ur by far one of the best in the game right now. respect!

Lowedwn

co-sign yoprince, Standing Ovation definitely set the bar for TM:101 and personally it’s what made me step back and give that Jeezy album a chance. All I knew up to that point was Boyz in the Hood, “So Icey” & “And Then What”

SOUTHSIDE A-TOWN

respect. you brought out a lot of good points. keep doing you.

http://federalranga.blogspot.com Federal Ranga

Yo, SouthSide… you need to holla at me, too! Got some shit you need to hear about. Commission!!!

capcobra

“dammit i’m fly”.

http://www.thaclipjoint.com Edmund Art

What he is saying is so true.. We have to understand that if longevity is what one seeks well hits is what needs to be made.

http://www.xxlmag.com Cchild

Back in the day Juicy J & DJ Paul had some the most monterous beats ever

these posts are racist

This was a horrible drop. XXL Bretheren, please come down hard on this cat, similar to OJ and whatever that chick from the Drake video’s name is…

You deliver no message: Be good at what you do and have connections…Really, that’s your message? Why not dig deeper: How as your “clarinet” training/opera singing mom, etc. effected your beat making??? Nuance homey, nuance. Details homey, details. Ironically, most things in life and succeeding in life is in the details, something your generic post lacks.

Come down in the comment section and earn your “5 star rating”…Also, young jeezy and rick ross? Sorry, i actually love hip hop, hence I don’t listen to them.

these posts are racist

“…affected.”

Seriously, don’t come on here with your cliche filled generic messages and think you’ll get a pass here. Word to Ron Mexico…come with the real. Details and a nuanced explanation of things. Spit a cliche here, big yourself up there…and bam, you expect us to say “real talk”?

I don’t “Just Joe”, you tell me? What is hip hop? But that is not the central point of my comment.

My comment is about how generic and useless this drop is. It contains no real thought or discussion, it’s just a generic cliche. Im asking this guy to actually explain in detail how his music background that he briefly mentions effects his beat making? Also, i am asking him to discuss in detail his concept of “success” and what, in detail, got him there.

He end his drop about how he still gets publishing checks…so that’s success? Does one simply look at the “ends” to determine success? Is success all about creating some product that gets you paid? Most people work and go to school and success is about the details: waking up on time, not missing appointments, getting work done timely and done well, being professional, etc.

Im waiting for some real talk here…

valdez

i feel where u are coming from. butlike stated above, the man is not a blogger. but still, ur right, coulda been more detailed.

tronthadon

Im so tired of yall back packing fagets..this aint bout Pete Rock you wont Pete Rock google him and read up on em..hiphop is whateva you feel it is if you can ctach a vibe and you like it fuck whatever otha people gotta say.Drumma Boy that nigga keep banging on these bitches bruh

these posts are racist

Wow, this comment was (Sic)…get it, (sic)? Anyway, you’re missing the point. Let me ask you then: What is the point of Drummer Boy’s Drop. Did he actually give you any real insight into being successful? Or maintaining success? Does he even explain his own success in real terms or is it simply the type of generic cliche that I discuss above?

Brahsef

TPAR comin with that heat today haha. All in all, nothin special about the drop, but nothin to get worked up about. People take this blog ish too seriously.

these posts are racist

That’s the problem…at some point, almost everything from one perspective or another is not “that serious…” but soon then, we take nothing serious. This is a REAL forum, where like minded brothers and sisters converge to discuss and share ideas, which in turn influences our dealings outside of this forum…so, i don’t know…is it “serious”? Do these drops effect cats who read them?

Brahsef

Woah, I’m not thinkin this is on some slippery slope shit here, it’s just that Drummas first and foremost a producer. I’m guessing he’s not a professional blogger like a lot of these cats out here. I wouldn’t expect Bol to be able to lace a joint for Jeezy, so why should I expect Drumma Boy to kill the blog game?

Drumma Boy invented that Jeezy sound, and though you may not like it he’s consistent as fuck and has contributed more to hip-hop than you or any blogger has. His art speaks for himself.

these posts are racist

What up…thanks for the comment. I meant no disrespect. I’m not expecting him to be a professional blogger or writer…but giving an honest and insightful post instead of trying to trick us with a bland cliche drop.

And it’s not about whether I “like” or dislike his music…it’s about him not giving us enough respect to dig deep and give us a real analsys or thought provoking drop for us to vibe with…

And with all due respect…I am hip hop playboy, so no, he has not contributed more to the culture than i have…but that’s not the point, here.

tronthadon

Go get some pussy bloggin ass fuck boy

these posts are racist

Is this “Tron” aka “livin for the cityyyy” from Dave Chappelle’s show?

http://federalranga.blogspot.com Federal Ranga

TPAR goin in ya’ll!!! Commission!!! Yo, holla at me man, I got something to put you up on [||].

E-21 up!!!
youtube.com/federalranga

Brahsef

LOL Tron! Fuck I miss that show. “I bought this baby straight cash”

these posts are racist

Brahshef,

What up homey! The “I bought this baby straight cash” comment was classic…and is only understood by those who grew up in the ‘hood.

rockcity

Federal Ranga: Every once in a while (pretty much all the time) I see you posting a comment that has nothing to do with the actual topic.

Then you say “Commission!” end the sentence with a catchy phrase.

After that you say “E-21 up” (or some other number).

Not hating, just out of curiosity, what the fuck do you mean and why are you posting it here?

http://youtube.com/federalranga Federal Ranga

@ rockcity

I hear what you saying… I understand that. For starters, I’m with TPAR on this one, Drumma came weak with his first post and nobody really cares for it which is why I chose not to discuss anything about said topic. Every once in a while one of the bloggers says something that catches my eye and I can respond accordingly. Unfortunately most of the bloggers who DID do that are gone from the site to focus on their own (in some cases, better) sites.

Now as far as that Commission!!! shit is concerned, that’s just something that a couple of cats and I who comment on here be screaming for the hell of it. Before it even became known there were a group of commenters who most people (bloggers included) rocked with on the regular. Shit, one of them even guest blogged here, if I’m not mistaken. A lot of THEM don’t come to the site either, pimpin… I still got a little love for the site, which is why I scope it out every now and then.

The E-# shit, that’s the episodes. I run this little webshow I do on youtube called Federal Ranga: On Yo Ass!!! Mondays on my youtube channel. When I first got started last year, I used to say XXLmag.com Presents for the hell of it because they were the reason I wanted to start doing it, but after a while dropped their name from it and continued plugging my shit here (not as much though as I don’t come here much anymore).

I’m glad you asked the question and I hope you’ve gotten the answer you sought. Chuuuch.

Woahhhh….good call there Blackout. I noobed hard and totally mixed them up.

RDS

@ TPAR,

Tell ‘em why you mad son…lol.

Seriously, some people get it, others don’t. I concur with your statements fully though. I expected to read something with depth and character, but there honestly isn’t anything useful here. A waste of bandwith. I make beats as a hobby and I’d love to know someone else’s creative process, or the inspiration behind a particular record…SOMETHING. What I’m left with is a complete waste of bandwith and two minutes of my life I could’ve done read something more engaging with.

-R

vansur

and thats why your commenting on the computer, whoever comments after i said this hating, is a FUCKING LAME, straight up, virgin ass no money wanna G hater

willGATES

correction !!!!!!! Drumma boy is from memphis TN get it right so don’t get it twisted .

render

lmao at niggas expecting some kind of real intellectual discourse on mfin xxlmag.com (the same site that has an eye candy section and a fat nigga writing 24-7 about jay-z’s sexuality and Nas’s bitch drama)…this is an ad-driven site for an ad-driven publication..drumma boy has name recognition and his shitty ass blog has more value to xxl than a million tanya morgan drops

you wasting your time sitting behind a computer reading blogs is no ones fault but your own…

“XXL Bretheren, please come down hard on this cat”

internet soldiers assemble hahaha

these posts are racist

Cats like you always crack me up. Criticize people like me who give this forum and the hip hop culture enough respect to have real conversations, speak down on us for “wasting out time…” yet you are commenting here as well. What’s your point?

render

cause I realize that xxlmag is commercial pseudo journalism that borders on TMZ pulp and I come here for a little mindless diversion during my day…same reason people watch the GI Joe movie

Did all the ad banners, and gucci mane covers not tip you off to the fact that XXL is not about selling what you want to buy? This is a mainstream publication homie…there are forums where you can have “real conversations” but XXL stopped being that about 5 years ago and no amount of your internet revolutionary ranting is gonna change that

you want to bring the culture back, find a new way to do it

http://www.bboycult.com Don ‘$yk’ McCaine

The homies are going in I see…

TPAR what’s up!

Rangz I need that jpeg to get things started.

valdez how’s that project coming along?

rockcity I expect you to keep dropping that Swedish input on what’s the rap word over there.

Brashef what it do? EmC!

Drummer Boy I thought you were gonna spit some game fam…

And whatever XXL does doesn’t mean WE can’t build and talk to each other…WTF is wrong with y’all cats that think you can’t talk with/to your brethren?

We can have a REAL convo ANYTIME we please on here…MOST OF Y’ALL CHOOSE NOT TO.

http://www.jamal7mile.blogspot.com Jamal7Mile

Late, checking in. What’s up to the board?

“And whatever XXL does doesn’t mean WE can’t build and talk to each other…” – $yk

^THIS is why I come to XXLmag.com almost daily. To quote PE, we’re brothers (and sisters) of the same mind, unblind. I come here to learn something about my culture and I’m never disappointed. And when I’m able to, I come here to impart some knowledge. Yeah, there are other forums out there. BBoyCult, Daily Math, DallasPenn.com, Reading and Writing is For Dumb People, etc. Guess where I found out about those forums?

I guess the XXL format works for me the best. AllHipHop has way too much spam, and WSHH is not worth mentioning except for a few good battles.

I like the fact that XXL occasionally gives me an opportunity to talk directly to artists that I like (and don’t like). Never in a million years did I think I’d be able to talk (er, type) directly to Mike Bigga about we felt about community service and Tiger Woods! And when the Guest Blog feature started to take off I told Vanessa that she should see if MC Lyte could drop by. Guess who Nessa went out and got?

I’m good right here, fam! Peace to the board!
Commission!!

http://www.jamal7mile.blogspot.com Jamal7Mile

* “…about WHAT we felt about community service..”

Typo’s… just woke up and didn’t get my coffee fix yet. My oops.

P. Harris

See, this right here is why I fux with xxlmag.com

Read the comments, some funny, some serious, some don’t have shit to do with the story, but you read them and read responses and laugh, get mad, or whatever. It’s hilarious and at the same time it gives taste of hip hop from all sides.

There are some cats on here who have a real passion for the hip hop/rap culture and they’re going to speak on it. So, to bring it full circle, if you are supposed to be a contributor to hip hop history or rap culture and you come with a bullshit blog, you’re going to hear about it. Granted he’s a producer and not a blogger. He’s got to come better then that if he is so called giving young producers insight on obtaining longetivy.

Apollo Moses

great comments from the wise.

http://www.emcdl.com EmCDL

Honestly, I just come on here when I’m at work during my dwell time, been doing it since about a year and a half ago; barely comment on anything nowadays since XXL don’t really have anything useful on its site….most times anyway. But, I have talked to some cool cats on here and like everyone else, I read thru the comments on the regular….like P.Harris said, some funny as hell, some serious stuff….but always learning something in the end.